Page 87 of Fire and Rain
She had to know. “Is everyone okay?”
“We’re all fine,” Natasha reassured her. “But Agent Santee has news. Summer, Willow, sit on the floor to give Auntie Eden and Sean room on the sofa.”
Summer and Willow moved, and Eden and Sean sat.
But something wasn’t right. “What’s happened? What’s wrong?”
It was Agent Santee who answered. “Last night, the CGIS, DEA, FBI, Kodiak Police, and others executed arrest warrants on eighteen people associated with the drug ring behind the explosion that killed your husband and left you injured, McKenna. Those threatening text messages were the key to helping us solve this case. Thank you for reporting them.”
Adrenaline made Eden’s head buzz. “You… you found them?”
“We took seventeen suspects into custody, some of them here, some in Anchorage, and others elsewhere. One suspect eluded us and is now in the wind.”
But Eden wasn’t keeping up. “In the wind?”
Sean explained. “On the run.”
“Here’s the hard part.” Agent Santee glanced at Aunt Evelyn, who let out a sob. “That suspect is Charlie Crane.”
Eden gaped at him. “Charlie Crane—my cousin Mila’s husband?”
“Yes, ma’am. He was the ringleader. The people who blew themselves up worked for him. Apparently, some meth they’d been supposed to sell on the island was stolen. They tried to make their own, knowing he’d kill them if they couldn’t recoup the money.”
It all came together. How terrible and needlessly tragic.
“And they killed themselves, Justin, and David in the process.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Agent Santee drew out his cell phone, read through a message, slid it back into his pocket. “Crane served as the contact for a bigger drug ring that operates out of Seattle. He used bush pilots and boats to transport drugs to dealers in villages across Alaska, then used that same network to get cash back to his bosses.”
Eden’s sisters nodded, while Auntie Evelyn wept. But Eden struggled to believe it. “I thought Charlie had a high-paying job in Prudhoe Bay. Why would he sell drugs?”
Maria handed Auntie Evelyn a box of tissues.
Agent Santee explained. “Hedidwork in Prudhoe Bay, but he didn’t earn nearly as much as his wife believed. He quit when he realized we were onto him and told her he’d been laid off.”
Eden asked her next question. “Does that mean Mila didn’t know?”
“No!” Auntie Evelyn snapped. “Of course, she didn’t. Why would you think that?”
Eden’s grandmother answered before Eden could. “None of this is Eden’s fault, Evelyn. We all feel bad for Mila, but don’t take it out on Eden.”
Agent Santee answered Eden’s question. “Mila didn’t know. This came as a terrible shock to her, and she continues to cooperate with law enforcement. We’ve temporarily placed her and her children in protective custody.”
Poor Mila!
“How awful for them.” Eden couldn’t imagine how wrenching this was for her, Nick, and Lina. The shock. The sense of betrayal. The humiliation. “I’m so sorry to hear this. What happens next?”
“One of the men we arrested told us Crane planned to steal a boat and head toward Homer where he has a buddy who can get him into Canada. We’ve alerted law enforcement throughout Alaska, as well as Canada. We will continue the hunt for him. I’d like to keep your phone if that’s okay. Given the pressure he’s under, I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll try to contact you again.”
“That’s fine.”
“Is Eden safe now?” Sean needed to know.
Agent Santee seemed to consider this. “I would continue to be cautious until we’re sure that the suspect is in custody or has been sighted far from Kodiak. If he shows up at your door, call the police immediately. Don’t open the door for anyone you’re not expecting. That goes for all of you. Charlie Crane is considered armed and dangerous—a killer.”
Eden tried to pull herself together. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”
“I’m truly sorry for how Crane’s actions have affected this family. None of you deserved this. We will find Crane and put him away. If you have other questions, Eden, call or shoot me a message. I need to go.”
